Managing for Dummies

After reading this book (first edition), I have found it to contain most of the basic skills a manger needs to develop to be efficient and successful. Because the book has a wide coverage, you won't find in-depth details about each subject, but it is an excellent introduction to management skills, and conveys these skills to you in an enjoyable read, thus saves you the time and effort of figuring out what successful mangers do. This book serves also as a skills refresher (when you are already a seasoned manager) and helps bring you back to the track of success if you start deviating. The skills covered are: - Organization, time management, planning - Delegation - Leadership - Hiring, interviewing - Motivating employees - Goal setting - Project management, measuring and monitoring performance - Performance evaluations/ feedback, disciplining and correction of unwanted behavior - Presentations - Business writing - Meetings management - Organizational structuring - Team building and leadership - Office politics - Change management - Stress management - Employee development and training, career path setting, mentoring - Budgeting and accounting - Business processes optimization / reengineering - Information technology - Organizational culture / behavior - TQM (Total Quality Management) / Deming Method / continuous improvements - Systems thinking - Creation of a learning environment - Innovation support

Most management books talk of one particular style, praise it as the end-all-be-all, and criticize the rest. This is the first book I've come across that realizes your employees are PEOPLE! It factors in emotions, bosses, big decisions and the REAL things you're likely to come across. It's written nicely and makes you wish everyone you've ever worked for has read it! It's not as in-depth on certain areas as it could be, but it's a perfect beginners book and great refresher course for a seasoned vet.

First, this book is a "fun" read which is unusual for most business books. If you want to know how mananagement thinks and how it works in most corporate environments today - get this book.The first half is execellent and by the time it's completed you'll know exactly the way your poor boss has been tramautized over the past 10 years with all the new passing management fads. No wonder management is basically skeptical and seems to have a schizophrenic identity crisis. The second half of the book hangs a bit, maybe the authors ran out of ideas. But the final Index of the 10 essential management books is invaluable. I've already read 3 of the suggestion.Read this book. Take your boss to lunch, realize how trapped he really is, get a raise, and save $40,000 on your MBA. Just keep reading and reading books like this.

This is a very readable book about management.....a must for managers who are "out there" floundering at trying to deal with their employees. A "must read"....I wish I had seen it sooner.

This guide is appealing for people who have been recently thrust into roles of leadership and management in corporate America. The style is easy to read. The content is first-rate. I would suggest this as recommended reading to anyone who is a new manager.